We were lucky to catch up with Kelli Edwards recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kelli thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Do you remember your Saturday mornings as a child? Well, I loved watching nature shows on Saturday mornings. I would get so excited at the idea of diving in the ocean or camping in the “wilderness”. The only problem was, I never saw people who looked quite like me on these shows. I knew that I wanted to experience nature up close and personal, but being a little girl from Chicago, I just didn’t know how.

Fast forward to graduate school at Savannah State University. While there, I had the unique opportunity to share my love of nature, specifically my love of the ocean, with high school students as part of my graduate fellowship. Our first trip to the marsh, was absolutely magical! The students had so many questions. The same students who were afraid of getting dirty the first week, were in love with the idea of counting fiddler crabs and periwinkle snails by the second. By the third week, they didn’t want to leave the marsh. Watching my students light up with excitement by simply exploring the environment, sealed it for me. Right then, I knew I wanted to design ways for people to get outside and dig into the science of nature!

As a marine scientist and environmental educator, that is what I strive to do. My mission is to create opportunities to for individuals to safely experience nature and all it has to offer. Whether that’s by learning about the ocean through hands on activities, snorkeling in local rivers and springs, or watching a video on YouTube, I want to make it possible for people<i> to meet nature where they are</i>.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

While my journey to becoming a marine scientist may have started off somewhat linear, my path to being an educator has been full of loops and turns. After earning my Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Illinois, I completed my Masters of Science in Marine Sciences at Savannah State University. Following graduation, I started working at Georgia Aquarium. While there I served as Assistant Manager of Guest Programs and then Education Programs. I now work for County government as an Environmental Quality and Education Manager, where I create programs to teach the public about water quality and conservation issues.

Outside of my professional role, I design educational experiences which immerse individuals in the aquatic environment. In 2017, I took a small group to the Cohutta Wilderness for snorkeling in the Conasauga River. At the time, I didn’t know that experience would lead to me becoming a snorkel guide in the same river, just 3 short years later. Since 2020, I have served as a snorkel guide for Get Black Outside – a global platform designed to connect underrepresented audiences with the great outdoors. In 2023, I served as Marine Science Coordinator for the National Association of Black Scuba Divers’ Youth Education Summit. In that role, I created marine education experiences for 11 students who were completing either their open water or advanced open water scuba diving certifications. Our students had a once in a life-time opportunity to observe endangered Green Sea Turtles laying eggs on the beach! We also participated in fish identification while snorkeling and explored the 2nd largest barrier reef system in the world – the Mesoamerican Reef. That opportunity led me to serve as the Marine Education Consultant for the Westside Atlanta Charter Schools’ Ocean Stewards Program. For the second year in a row, we have created a program which immerses 4th – 7th grade students into ocean science, using the Ocean Literacy Principles as a framework for exploration. Most recently, I’ve been asked to serve as on the Board of the Aquatic Futures Foundation, a non-profit founded to create equitable access to ocean science education and careers, empowering the next generation of marine conservationists to build a sustainable future for our oceans. This project is especially exciting because we are training young people to become divers, researchers, or whatever else they can imagine themselves becoming. So as you can see, at my core, I’m an educator. My classroom just so happens to be the aquatic world.

My most recent project is a deeply personal one. I am a co-owner of Rogue Renegades, a company which uses media to introduce the public to the aquatic environment, through video and content creation. This role directly ties back to my love of those Saturday morning nature shows. Now, I can create the type of shows that I would have wanted to see, with people from all walks of life. We live in a digital age now, so we don’t have to wait until Saturday morning to watch our favorite nature shows. Content can be viewed on social media platforms, with one click of your computer or cell phone. Through our content, I hope to inspire the next generation of marine and environmental stewards.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

When people hear my academic background, they may think I belong in a research lab or classroom. While I enjoy both, I love teaching IN nature much more. Now, with Rogue Renegades, I’ve ventured into a new space – edutainment. Being an “edutainer” is different, because we aren’t just limited to educating solely in the classroom, or entertaining, solely on media outlets. I think if anything, my story shows that you can be multifaceted. For me, that’s being a scientist, an educator, and now an artist. If you are passionate about many things, do them all. There are always opportunities for you to bridge the gaps, you just have to think outside of the box.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

Interestingly enough I met my business partner and dive buddy, Simone Kilgore, in one of our marine science classes at Savannah State. Simone always had a camera with her. One day while discussing future plans over lunch, we realized we shared a similar vision – showcasing the environment through media. Here we are today, 15 years later, actually making that vision come into focus. We capture footage and explain the science behind the waves, in a way that is engaging and understandable. Working with Simone is wonderful, because she is not only my business partner and dive buddy, but one of my very best friends. We dive together, we create together, and we remain committed to a vision we shared back in school.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Rogue_Renegades
• Facebook: RogueRenegades
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelli-l-edwards-m-s-72a92252/
• Youtube: youtube.com/@Rogue_Renegades
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Simone Kilgore – 88Vintage Photography<br>